If we could talk to the toddlers

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Sign language is being used to communicate before babies
learn to talk, writes Glenn Mulcaster.

PARENTS striving to improve child literacy by teaching sign
language to their babies can now do so with Australian accents and
actions.

Signing for hearing infants has become fashionable in the US
after research revealed the potential to reduce toddler tantrums.
It is also believed that children who learn signing develop better
language skills.

Sydney sign language instructor Aileen Ryan has self-published a
nursery rhyme book illustrated with sign actions and a pocket
guidebook with 250 signs, based on Australian Sign Language
(Auslan).

Ms Ryan qualified as an Auslan interpreter 13 years ago and soon
after gave birth to twins who she taught to sign in infancy. She
has run sign language workshops for nine years and has taught baby
signs to parents of hearing children for two years.

She said existing reference materials for Auslan, including
large vocabulary dictionaries and long-term classes were too
overwhelming for parents who only wanted a quick primer.

"People only need to attend a workshop that can get them started
with the basic signs, also giving them the knowledge of why we
sign, how to do the signing, see what's available and what others
are doing," Ms Ryan said.

She said US books and videos failed to explain that American
Sign Language (ASL) was not a universal sign language. Some US
authors also promote their own natural gesture languages that rely
on the dissemination of their books and materials.

There are more than 140 sign languages used by deaf communities
worldwide, including New Zealand Sign Language, adopted in July as
an official national language by the NZ Parliament.

Auslan enjoys no such recognition but about 15,000 people use
Auslan daily in Australia, including 5400 people in Victoria,
according to the Victorian Deaf Society. The state deaf societies
in Victoria and WA run baby sign workshops for parents of hearing
children.

Like Ms Ryan, some other parents have set up private courses.
Two years ago when Melbourne woman Terri Anderton was expecting her
first child she read almost every book on parenting at her library.
As a speech pathologist specialising in early childhood, she was
intrigued by the American baby signing books.

Her son Felix was born in October, 2003. She said his first sign
was for ball and his first spoken word was "dog", indicating that
he wanted to throw the ball to the family dog. "So much for mummy
and daddy being first words or signs," she said with a laugh. "We
missed out there." Ms Anderton taught him formal Auslan signs,
which she has taught to children with language difficulties.

"It was important to use a formal system and the obvious one was
Auslan," she said. "But it is also important to be flexible. Follow
the child's lead."

Ms Anderton now runs Baby Sign Time courses in Footscray and
Fairfield.

Alison Basson, an accountant from the Gold Coast, published a
book and education kit for baby signing and holds workshops in
Queensland. She said she had signed up child-care centres in
Queensland to use her baby signing system called Tinytalk.

She began signing with her daughter Ellie, now 19 months old,
having learned of baby signing from a TV documentary. She developed
her own signing system, incorporating about 60 per cent of the
vocabulary from Auslan.

"Our philosophy is to do what's easy," Ms Basson said. "It's not
important what signs you use, it's just great that you can learn to
communicate."

Ms Basson said Tinytalk was not designed as a language in itself
but rather a temporary bridge of communication until children began
talking and used many natural-gesture signs, which were easier to
learn than formal sign language actions.

The Victorian Deaf Society fears that an opportunity could be
lost if the overseas or natural-gesture sign language material
confuses the parents and carers of hearing children and Australia's
signing languages become fragmented.

Marc Curtis, manager of Vicdeaf's Auslan and interpreting
service, says while he does not expect thousands of Australian
toddlers to become proficient at Auslan and be able to converse
with the deaf by the time they reach school, exposure to signing
for children and parents could help break down barriers.

"If the child is hearing and they are exposed to deaf friends or
family then most will continue with Auslan," he said. "But if the
child and family have little exposure to deafness then we think
that many won't continue with the language."

He said Vicdeaf had approached 30 city councils in Victoria and
child-care centres to urge them to teach Auslan to hearing
babies.

"We have a large bank of qualified deaf teachers that are
parents themselves," he said.

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